Blog Archives
Album Review: Ultraviolet by Kylesa
I’ve known about Kylesa for quite some years now and know that their previous albums have garnered quite a bit of praise. But something about the singles that were released then just never clicked for me and I never took a dive into one of their records before. I really can’t put my finger on what didn’t catch me about their music, but it should be something right up my alley as I’m a fan of dirty stoner metal and rock. Luckily my ears caught wind of the their single for “Unbroken” and I absolutely loved the hypnotic atmosphere of the tune and from there I decided I’d give Kylesa a good listen when their upcoming album Ultraviolet was released. Even luckier for me an advanced stream and a promo copy landed in the inbox so I could get to delving into the world of Kylesa a bit earlier. So, for those that may be wondering how the new L.P. compares to the previous, I really won’t be able to tell you. I will be able to tell you however, that Ultraviolet is a really great record and as soon as there is a small lull in metal releases, going back and listening to their back catalog is a top priority.
Full Album Streams: Blood Drive by ASG
So, the other day I posted my review up of the upcoming album Blood Drive by ASG. You should go read it. While you’re doing that you can sit and agree (or disagree if you dare) with what I wrote about it while listening to the album under the microscope. And if you happen to be a lazy shit like myself, here’s the condensed review: It’s pretty damn good southern fried stoner rock that’s quite catchy. So, go listen, now! Peace Love and Metal!!!
Click Here to go to the Advance Stream
Album Review: Kruna – Last Century
The melodic death metal band Kruna from Italy released their first full length ‘Last Century’ in March this year. It’s fast paced, aggressive music containing little bits of metalcore and thrash. You can hear some influences from bands like At The Gates, The Black Dahlia Murder and As I Lay Dying.
Musings of the Heavy Metal Hippie: White Storm of Teeth by The Devil’s Blood
In case you haven’t noticed, I f’n love this band and am a bit chaffed that I ended up getting into them after they broke up. Sucks, I know. Lucky for me I still get to indulge in the excitement of a new release from the band even though I will never be able to catch one of those awesome live shows I’ve heard so much about.
The Devil’s Blood breakup happened while they were in the middle of recording their new album and they were pretty damn close to finishing the record when the split happened. Fortunately they weren’t going to let all the new music that they recorded go to waste, so what was completed was put together and now we have the record III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars.
I’ll probably not do a full review of the album, but will say it’s pretty damn good for being an unfinished work. There are many parts that need some smoothing out and some good editing on others, but as a whole, it is really enjoyable. It’s a shame because you can certainly hear that The Devil’s Blood were pushing themselves and not trying to just cut and paste the songwriting they established on their first album.
Anywho, my favorite track off the album is “White Storm of Teeth” and it has a heavy Tool feel to it, mainly in hypnotizing bass line. There’s also strong elements of Pink Floyd as well as that undeniable Devil’s Blood sound. Give the tune a listen and sound off what you think. Enjoy!! Peace Love and Metal!!!!
Album Review: Pelagial by The Ocean
Pelagial – adj. \pə̇ˈlājēəl\ : 1. of or pertaining to the open seas or oceans. 2. living at or near the surface of the open seas.
If the album title or tracks separated into suites named Epipelagic, Mesopelagic, Bathalpelagic, etc didn’t cue you off to deducing that The Ocean are really putting their namesake at the forefront on their new album, a good listen will. On the Epipelagic level (surface level) this seems like it could end up being a corny and pretentious idea. “Oh, The Ocean are writing a concept album about the ocean. How very clever. snark snark snark”. Coming off of their less than well received Anthropocentric and many fans not too happy about the bands change to a more ‘lighter’ mood, attempting to take on such a project filled with pretense is a risky and daring move that could make or break this German quintet. Would they rise above the waves into the fresh and salty air or be cast down to Hadopelagic level (deepest part of the ocean) to be crushed by the freezing waters which exert 2 tons per square inch? Well, given that I have now listened to Pelagial about 20 times over the course of a few days, the answer on whether the record is a success or not is pretty obvious. But just how good is it?
Musings of the Heavy Metal Hippie: Attrition by Howl
Sometimes a heavy metal hippie needs a good injection of aggression in his hippie music (sometimes the reef runs out). So when a tune steeped in southern metal riffing, thundering drumming, and a dark and evil atmosphere comes along this hippie grins that hazy smile of his.
I have never heard of Howl until this weekend when I was playing follow the Youtube links and stumbled upon them. The killer riffing and the demonic vocals sold me on this band immediately as the came off feeling like a twisted crossbreed of High on Fire and Lamb of God. Damn great stuff and you should totally check them out cause King Hippie says so 
Enjoy!! Peace Love and Metal!!!
Album Review: Blood Drive by ASG
There are 3 big points I’ve noticed that really sways my enjoyment of an album, the first and most important how catchy the songs on it are. Whether it be a great vocal hook or a groove that I won’t get out of my mind a songwriters aptitude for writing something that sticks is what will have me keep returning to an album time and time again. Just give a listen to some of my favorite bands like Iron Maiden, Clutch, Black Sabbath, and Opeth. Each album they release contains elements of catchy songwriting that has been engaging me for years on end and don’t show any signs of slowing up. Some genres of rock and metal genres lend themselves better to having more opportunities for damn catchy songs, so, being a stoner hard rock band, today’s band under the microscope happen to already have a few points in their favor. Fortunately, ASG doesn’t rest on their laurels and let the natural catchiness of the genre carry them along. Their new album Blood Drive also features the other 2 bullet points for what I consider a great album; depth and performance. It’s also a fun and uplifting record filled with nice twists and turns that poke at prog rock tendencies and has a nice bit of diversity to keep things interesting. So after my initial spin of the album it was easy for me to say All Systems Go on this highly enjoyable album.
Mik’s Top 100 Favourite Albums of All Time #80-76
A while ago, at the same time as Matt and Reggie, I posted my Top 100 All Time Favourite (Metal) Albums over at the forum The History of Metal on FB. It took a good amount of time and effort to put it together, but it was so much fun! My taste in metal is always changing, so the list will not always look the same. In fact, it’s already a bit different than it was when I first put it together and posted it on the forum seven months ago.
I tried to limit myself to three albums per band to make the list a little more diverse and interesting. I don’t really consider the ‘test of time’-factor when selecting what albums that will go on my list, instead I measure it by how strongly the album has affected me emotionally and how much/often it has helped me through both good and bad phases in my life. That’s why you can find quite a few newer releases among my favourites too.
#80 Rishloo – Eidolon
“Who left this way open?
Unguarded paths chosen
All guilty they stand in judgment of, those who would travel and
All are guilty, to swing the pendulum, to eat the temporal“
It’s almost like a rock/prog/grunge-opera. I love their odd, melancholic and sometimes Tool-ish sound. Their unique singer is fantastic and the songs start out slow and build up so beautifully. Unsigned and self-promoted, I’m glad they seem to have reached some success among prog-fans. Unfortunately this band is no more, but at least they had time to release three albums, much to my pleasure.
Full Album Streams: Ultraviolet by Kylesa
As I stated in a previous post, for some reason I always thought the songs released as singles by Kylesa were pretty cool, but never grabbed me and made me want to check out a full album them. Theoretically, they should be right up my alley, big fat stoner and doom riffs and a female singer that doesn’t bleat like a goat. But alas, just never made the connection. Then an email from their PR landed in our inbox with a link to their new single “Unspoken” and I checked it out. Immediately I was head over heels for the tune and its dreamy groove. So I vowed I’d check the record out when it landed. Luckily, the fine folks over at Pitchfork have secured an advance stream of their new album Ultraviolet for everyone to listen to. A few songs in and I’m digging it well enough, it’s already secured a purchase. Give it a listen while its up (the streaming ends on May 28, 2013) and let us know what you think of it. As requested by one of our readers I will do a full review of it probably sometime next week. Enjoy!! Peace Love and Metal!!!
